Bernal unopposed in District 1

He 'does his homework' and 'listens to people,' says one ex-city official.

Updated 1:32 am, Monday, April 22, 2013

Photo: Photos By Cynthia Esparza / For San Antonio Express-News

Image 1of/16

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 16

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens to questions and concerns from Rose and Joe Ontiveros during “Coffee with the Councilman” on Saturday. About 30 people from the area attended after a resident, Gina Galaviz-Eisenberg, worked to get the event together for her area.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens to questions and concerns from Rose and Joe Ontiveros during “Coffee with the Councilman” on Saturday. About 30 people from the area attended after a resident,

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens April 13, 2013 to a resident of the 8100 block of Scotts Hill about the condition of the neighborhood before "Coffee with the Councilman" begins. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues and concerns that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens April 13, 2013 to a resident of the 8100 block of Scotts Hill about the condition of the neighborhood before "Coffee with the Councilman" begins. This is the 34th

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets Rosemary P. Harrell April 13, 2013 and about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. Harrell attended the event to see what could be done about the crime in the area.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets Rosemary P. Harrell April 13, 2013 and about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. Harrell attended the event to see what

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have. Bernal says that these forums are incredibly helpful and that you can't know what is going on in your district unless you get out there.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have. less

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has ... more

Photo: Cynthia Esparza, For The Express-News

Image 6 of 16

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens April 13, 2013 to a question from Joe Ontiveros during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal listens April 13, 2013 to a question from Joe Ontiveros during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman"

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal goes for the microphone provided April 13, 2013 so he can speak to about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses the issues and concerns of those attending.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal goes for the microphone provided April 13, 2013 so he can speak to about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal speaks April 13, 2013 with Jeff O'Neill after "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. Even though O'Neill is not part of Bernal's district he took the opportunity to meet him as he is encouraged by youth in politics and what Bernal is about. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal speaks April 13, 2013 with Jeff O'Neill after "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. Even though O'Neill is not part of Bernal's district he took the

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have. less

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has ... more

Photo: Cynthia Esparza, For San Antonio Express-News

Image 12 of 16

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has been a part of in which he addresses issues that those attending have.

District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal meets April 13, 2013 with about 30 constituents during "Coffee with the Councilman" in the 8100 block of Scotts Hill. This is the 34th "Coffee with the Councilman" Bernal has

At his favorite neighborhood taqueria on Blanco Road, Diego Bernal shrugs off the fact that he's the only City Council member on the May 11 ballot who doesn't have an opponent.

That every other incumbent, from Mayor Julián Castro to District 10 Councilman Carlton Soules, is facing some level of opposition is the norm. Even when an elected official has done a good job governing, it's not uncommon for someone to throw a hat in the ring at the last minute just to give voters a choice.

But nobody from Bernal's District 1 — which sweeps from south of downtown, through the center city and north toward the airport, beyond Loop 410 — ultimately challenged the incumbent.

“There's a fair amount of luck involved,” he said. “I can't take credit for all of it.”

In the past 10 council elections, spanning 20 years, there's been only one other instance when a District 1 incumbent faced no challenger — in 2005 when Roger Flores sought his second and final term. To the extent that Bernal will acknowledge that his actions over the past two years have led to a clear path to a second term, he says he believes his constituents notice his efforts to help the district.

News Channel

“I'm sure there are some people who are upset because we couldn't deliver what they wanted right away,” Bernal, 36, said. “But anyone who's dealt with my office should at least walk away with the impression that we give it everything we have.”

Centro Partnership CEO Pat DiGiovanni, a former deputy city manager, said Bernal's best assets lie in his engagement — both with governance and his constituency.

“From my perspective now on the outside, Diego does his homework and he listens to people,” he said. “I think those are some of his greatest strengths.”

In the past two years, Bernal has made a name for himself as a voice for the people, even in his missteps. In November 2011, at about six months on the job, he found himself crosswise with his colleagues on the dais. They were aiming to strengthen a ban on panhandling, and before the vote, Bernal asked the council to consider adding some “compassion” into the law.

Essentially, he didn't want to outlaw asking for a blanket. Bernal caught the council by surprise.

“I learned the hard way that if you want to make adjustments, you need to talk to all your colleagues,” he said. “I got smacked down and told, 'Sorry, youngster, that's not how it's done around here.'”

More Information

District 1 candidate

Diego Bernal, incumbent (unopposed)

Age: 36

Education: BA, MSW and JD from the University of Michigan

Occupation: Attorney

Offices held: City of San Antonio District 1 Councilman, (current)

Meet your candidates

As the City Council election approaches, the Express-News will profile the city's 10 districts and the candidates running to represent them.

The councilman also passed legislation that curtails predatory practices of payday lenders in San Antonio. With a background in social work and civil rights, Bernal says fighting for his constituents is natural. And when he talks about why he sought the District 1 seat in the first place, he frames it within that prism.

Former District 1 Councilman Bobby Perez, now a City Hall lobbyist, said Bernal embodies what constituents want in a leader.

“I think that he definitely is good at what he does. That's been a plus as a resident of District 1,” Perez said. “You want someone in there who is working hard and trying to make things better, and he's clearly done that. That's one of the main reasons he has no opposition.”

Bernal has succeeded in bringing sorely needed infrastructure projects to neighborhoods that have been asking for them for decades. But very early on, he had the “sobering realization” that there are far more needs than there are resources. And that knowledge, he says, brings a bittersweet taste to seeing projects completed around his district.

“Instead of being excited about putting sidewalks where they've never been,” Bernal said, “I see it as a decision not to put them in the 30 or 40 other places they need to be in.”

Bernal seems haunted by not being able to fix all the problems scattered across his district. Yet he's lauded for the complex balance he maintains across his diverse district in supporting his neighborhoods and robust development in the city's urban core — a key initiative in Mayor Castro's SA2020 plan.

DiGiovanni said the councilman has shown ability to support downtown development and focus on delivering services to the neighborhoods beyond the urban core.

For Bernal, it's never enough.

He said he's completed the past two annual budget cycles and scolded himself for not insisting on more projects for his district. It's a common routine — in the waning days of the budget cycle, council members tend to earmark newly found funds for district projects. But Bernal has focused on what benefits the city as a whole.

“What I haven't done so well is to try to get things just for my district,” he said. “Something about that feels wrong.”